The breed originated from the original native pig with infusions of German Landrace and the Danish Landrace. The breed is found primarily in the southern, eastern and northern parts of the country.

 

Dutch Landrace have the same general appearance of the other Landrace breeds, being white in color and having the characteristic large and drooped ears. The breed has been developed to have wider backs and heavier hams than found on some Landrace strains. The breed is also known for high fertility and very good maternal abilities.

 

During the later 1960's and the 1970's, pig farming in Holland underwent great changes. In 1960, there were less than 3 million pigs on 146,000 farms. By 1981, there were only 40,900 pig farms, but they had over 10.3 million pigs. Thus, the number of pigs per farm changed from an average of twenty head to over 250 head. Truly, Holland has been making a business of its swine production. Now, over 60 percent of its pork is sold to other countries.

 

The swine producers of Holland lay great stress on production detail. Ninety percent of the marketed pigs are crossbreds, but most careful attention is given to seedstock. The Dutch Landrace sows are the basis for much of the female stock used in the common three-way crosses of Large White Boar x (Large White Boar x Dutch Landrace Sow).

 

Great attention is also given to progeny testing in the four test stations of Holland. Over 1,000 Dutch Landrace litters are tested each year, both for rate and economy of gain and for desirable carcass characteristics. When boars have sires and dams which both pass progeny tests at test stations, the boars may then be subjected to the boar performance test. If their index as a sire and their conformation is satisfactory, they may be eligible for sale to Artificial Insemination Societies. AI usage is increasing in Holland.

 

The Dutch Landrace breeders of Holland have produced meaty and efficient breed. It has not only proven valuable to the swine industry of that country, but has also been exported to other countries, principally Japan and Spain.

 

Registrations of Dutch Landrace are made with the Central Pig Breeding Office (Central Bureau Voor de Varkenstokkerij), P.O. Box 1159, 6501 BD Nijmegen, Holland.

 

 

References

Briggs, Hilton M. 1983. International Pig Breed Encyclopedia. Elanco Animal Health